don't rush judgement
by ladyTpower
Summary: Victoria got shot but what if they took the wrong person into custody? Can Zorro put his worries aside to find the real killer
1. Chapter 1

This is a story for the challenge 100 years, Zorro. I have chosen to write about New World Zorro. The story needs to include: Zorro uses his whip

A sword fight

A near miss from a bullet

A wrongful imprisonment

A Z slashed into something

A kiss

A gift to rose

A deathbed confession

Zorro swinging from a chandelier

Toronado fends off a foe

The sun burned hot above the desert town that carried the name, Los Angeles. It was a small town with roughly 700 citizens. The tavern is the only and most important public place. The sun was on his highest during the siësta time. A time where everybody was asleep, everybody except a few people who still had work to do or some lost travelers.

Victoria sighed and looked at the flaming hot sun. The temperature was high for the time of the year. It had been almost a year since the last rainfall. Diego walked out of the tavern it wasn't the first time that Diego stayed as Victoria's last customer. "It's a hot day today." Diego smiled towards Victoria, the woman who had captured his heart but she only loved the black mask of his alter-ego, not the man of flesh and blood who was wearing it.

"Yes, typical weather in Los Angeles. Isn't it time yet for the young don's beauty sleep?" teased the raven-haired tavern owner.

Diego shook his head pretending that those teasing remarks didn't hurt, "No time to sleep, I have still much work to do for the Guardian. It needs to be done for tomorrow's edition." Diego laughed but inside it felt like she stepped on his heart. If she only knew how little I sleep every night…Diego thought Would never love his the way he loved herDiego thought again while nodded his goodbye and walked to the office of the Los Angeles Guardian. Victoria sighed again and started to gather the last dirty dishes off the tables on her front porch, not noticing the man who was sneaking in the shadows. The stranger aimed his gun towards Victoria, "If I can't have the lovely senorita nobody can, not even the famous Zorro!" he pulled the trigger. He waited just long enough to see Victoria collapse. The mysterious man looked around one more time while escaping he laughed evilly not noticing Jack Johnson, who just had entered the pueblo. He bumped into Jack dropping his gun in the process. He picked the gun from the hot desert sand, " Sir, you lost your…" the mysterious man was gone.

Diego looked up from his papers when he heard a shot. He looks towards Felipe who had joined him in his office. Felipe shrugged. Until a familiar female voice cried out in pain. They both looked at each other and jumped out of their chairs. Diego's heart skipped a beat when he saw the raven-haired beauty laying for dead on her front porch. "Felipe gets Mendoza quickly" Diego ordered while he ran towards Victoria, who was lying lifeless in a pool of her own blood. He was crouched down next to her, while he felt in her neck for a pulse. "Hold on, Victoria, don't leave now, not this way," Diego whispered lovingly. He looked up and he noticed the man with a gun running towards them. Diego stood up and stood at full height in front of Victoria's body raising his hands in the air. "I don't know who you are, sir but please let me help her before she dies," Diego asked carefully, obviously thinking that this man had shot the beautiful tavern owner.

"Is she…" Jack's stopped in mid-sentence when he heard other voices behind him.

"Drop... your... gun!" threatened Ramone calmly aiming his own gun towards Jack. The dark-haired stranger dropped his gun and raised his hands in the air. Sergeant Mendoza took the gun out of the sand and smelled the barrel of the gun, "It has just been used, mi Alcalde!" the sergeant said looking at his commander.

"Take him away, private!" The alcalde ordered before walking after him. The only thing that Diego heard was, "I didn't shoot her! I am innocent!" He didn't think long about it at the moment. Victoria's life was in danger. Diego turned towards Felipe who tried to stop the bleeding, they needed to hurry, they lost to much time already, "Felipe, ride to the hacienda, tell my father what happened. Tell him to make a guest room ready. Return then with a carriage to transport her to the hacienda, take the biggest one we have." Felipe nodded before he jumped on his Pinto and galloped away. Felipe was very fond of Victoria. He was like a second mother to him, just like he thought off Diego as a second father.

"Mendoza get some water, a knife and lots of rags," Diego ordered while he took Victoria of the wooden floor of her front porch. Diego sighed sadly when the woman of his heart hung lifeless in his arms. Diego brought Victoria closer to his body while he walked towards her room. Fear ran through his veins. Mendoza was hot on his heels with the equipment. I need to control my emotions, come on Diego, she depends on you. Keep on fighting my love, don't leave me! Diego thought while he looked at the face of Victoria. Her skin was white as snow. He rolled up his sleeves and started to cut a piece out of her dress and her undergarment, just below her breasts. Diego thanked the gods that bullet was below her heart, a few inches more up and she would have been dead. He removed just enough fabric to remove the bullet. Mendoza was keeping an eye on her breathing and the beating of her heart. The good sergeant loved the senorita too but more because there was no better cook than Victoria in the pueblo. Mendoza kept on a brave face but couldn't help to remove his gaze from the wound from time to time to keep his nausea at bay. There was time enough to be sick afterward.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Felipe came running inside the hacienda. He found don Alejandro in the library. He was reading Don Quichotte for probably the hundred times. The old don looked up from his book.

"Felipe, what is wrong, you look like seen a ghost?" The old don was worried about the servant.

Felipe started to sign at such a speed that he stumbled over his signs.

"Felipe, calm down. Do it again but much slower I'm not Diego you know? Speaking of Diego where is that boy?" don Alejandro asked looking around just like Diego would suddenly appear like magic.

Felipe signed again but much slower this time.

"Diego is at the tavern, somebody shot Victoria Escalante. Diego is trying to save her life because Dr. Hernandez is out of town. You need the most comfortable carriage to bring her here. Diego also asked to make a guest room ready for her, he needed to be as close as possible to Victoria. That way there is always someone to keep an eye on her? Did I understand everything alright Felipe?" Don Alejandro asked when he had translated everything. Felipe nodded fiercely.

"Alright take the carriage and go back to the tavern. I will take care of the guestroom," the old don said quickly, "MARIA?" he yelled while he made his way to the kitchen.

Diego walked out of the room wiping his hands on a wet rag. His shirt half-open, his hair messed up from sweating. His sleeves rolled up to bellow his elbows.

Pilar was comforting Maria when the sound of steps coming down the stairs made her look up to see the tired face of the poet of the pueblo with a sick looking Sergeant Mendoza right behind him.

"How is she don Diego? Is she going to live?" Pilar asked worriedly.

Maria could only look, she couldn't say a word, out of fear that she would break down. Victoria was like a second mother for the young Maria who lost her parents at the age of 15 a few years ago.

Victoria needed a new servant girl and saw talent in Maria, she took care of the girl until she was able to take care of her own because if somebody knew how difficult it was growing up without parents around her it was Victoria.

"She is alive, it is too soon to tell if she will survive so I am going to take her to the hacienda that way I can monitor her. It is now up in God's hands. She survived it once I will do everything I can to make sure she survives this again. If you can pack up some stuff for her stay in the hacienda." Pilar and Maria nodded

The Alcalde walked towards the prisoner cell accompanied by two of his soldiers. Jack Johnson was laying on the little bed, his arms underneath his head, staring at the ceiling of his cell.

"It is much easier if you confess!" the Alcalde said with a dangerously calm voice.

"How can I confess something I didn't do!" Jack said stubbornly without turning his head.

"You are found on the place of the crime with a gun in your hand that just had been used." The Alcalde said calmly pointing his finger towards the prisoner.

"That wasn't my gun, I told you before I bumped into a man dressed in black caballero clothes, he dropped the gun and I took it off the ground right before you guys stormed out. I don't know the woman." This time Jack turned his head towards the man who had arrested him.

"Was this man masked?" The Alcalde asked knowing full well that would never kill, especially not the woman whom he gave his heart too.

"No, he wasn't masked but I didn't see his face clearly what I do remember is a scar on his neck," Jack said still hoping for a miracle.

The Alcalde paced towards the wall and turned again holding one finger in the air.

"You do know I could hang you without a problem right?" The Alcalde asked calmly.

Jack sighed, "I know that but what can I say for you to believe me!"

Louis Ramone ignored that last sentence and turned towards his private, "Let him think some more about what he has done and maybe he will cooperate in the morning." He turned around and walked back to his office. Leaving the prisoner alone with his thoughts.

Diego was in his cave making sure that he had enough cactus tea for Victoria when she would regain her consciousness. Felipe was watching him. He just made sure that Toronado had enough food and water for the night.

Felipe tapped on Diego's shoulder and started to sign from the moment he looked up. As usual, Diego repeated everything Felipe said to him with his hands, "Do I believe that this man is the man that shot Victoria?"

Diego sighed at this question, "I don't know Felipe something tells me that this isn't what it appears to be. Maybe I should go to town after I have taken care of Victoria and try to talk to him myself. This wouldn't be the first time that someone appeared at the wrong time at the wrong place!"

Felipe signed again Diego was used to watching Felipe and do some work at the same time for one reason or another he always knew what Felipe was going to say or ask.

"Will Zorro free the man?" Diego shook his head, "I can't do that Felipe and you know that! What Zorro can do is find out the truth before someone innocent is going to die!"

About an hour later Diego walked in the Alcalde's office.

"Alcalde, could I speak to the prisoner please?" Diego asked calmly.

"You want to see the man who shot senorita Escalante?" The Alcalde asked trying to sound confused. This was the last thing he needed, Diego his interference.

"I would like to hear what he's got to say, Alcalde. I want to know why!" Diego said while he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ok, maybe you could talk some sense into the man and make him talk!" The Alcalde huffed,

"Private, lead senor De La Vega towards the prisoner, you got 5 minutes, De La Vega!"

Diego walked towards Jack's prison cell. Jack looked at his visitor, "What are you doing here?" he asked, remembering Diego for that fatal day.

"I am here to talk to you, to listen to your side of the story." Diego's voice was gentle but stern.

"How is she?" Jack asked Diego noticed that his worry was genuine.

"She is fighting for her life at the Hacienda!" Diego sighed letting slip little worries through his normally controlled emotions.

"She is important to you, isn't she?" Jack asked after noticing the worries of his visitor.

"She is important to all of us, but yes she is my best friend since we were kids. What happened senor?" Diego asked making sure to let the man notice that he wanted to hear his side of the story.

"My name is Jack Johnson and I am from the America's, I was traveling to Santa Paula a friend of mine lives when my horse was spooked by a snake. I walked towards the next village which was Los Angeles when a man bumped into me dropping his gun in the process, I picked the gun up when not knowing that it just had been used. Only minutes later I got arrested and I was brought here but I didn't shoot her, Sir." Jack said starting only now to understand the troubles he was in.

"My name is Don Diego De La Vega and for one reason or another, I am prepared to believe you. Did you see who dropped the gun?" Diego asked

"I didn't see it clearly but he was wearing expensive dark clothes and he had a scar on his neck! Help me, Sir, please!" Jack begged Diego

This wasn't the begging of a guilty man. Diego needed to find out the truth and soon.

"I will see what I can do!" Diego said before he walked back through the door into the Alcalde's office.

The Alcalde looked up from his papers, "Did he finally confess to you?"

"Alcalde, I want to ask you to postpone his hanging what if he is right and he didn't try to kill Victoria?" Diego said knowing that the Alcalde wouldn't believe him either.

"Diego, you are so naive sometimes!" The Alcalde laughed

"Alcalde please wait until Victoria is better and can point him out as the shooter!" Diego plead

"What if Victoria doesn't survive?" The Alcalde asked.

"I'm doing everything in my power that she will survive Alcalde!" Diego said sternly.

"I will give you 72 hours to give me the evidence that he isn't guilty or he hangs!" Alcalde Ramone said clearly not interested.

"Thank you, Alcalde," Diego said with controlled anger before walking out. Diego knew that the Alcalde was being generous and something about that made him wary. Louis Ramone wasn't someone to be generous like that without hiding something in the process.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Diego sat next to Victoria's bed. He caressed her forehead while holding her hand with his other hand. These days had been busy for Diego. Two days of taking care of Victoria as Diego during the day and riding out as Zorro during the night with only a few hours of sleep.

"Here I sit again, hoping that the woman I love will survive. Hoping that I will get a chance to tell her who she really loves." Diego sighed before he continued, "I would give up everything if it meant that you would wake up my love. I have helped so many people as Zorro, gave up my life to serve justice…," a tear ran over his cheek and fell on Victoria's hand,

"It looks like Zorro will fail the one time that he needs to find justice more than ever."

He placed his forehead on Victoria's hand but was startled when Felipe came running inside signing that he needed to follow immediately. Diego wiped the tears off his cheek and followed the young boy that knew him better than anyone in this pueblo.

"So the man was threatening Victoria's servants but more importantly he had a big scar in his neck?" Diego said while he changed his caballero clothes for his black Zorro clothes.

Felipe nodded before he ran towards Toronado saddling the loyal black stallion.

Zorro stood on the upper floor watching what happened downstairs in the tavern. The man was clearly losing his patience.

"You will tell me where I can find, my Victoria and you are going to tell me now!" yelled the mystery man with the scar in his neck.

"I assure you senor Palacio she is in a safe place out of your reach!" Zorro suddenly yelled making in presence known.

He took his position on the railing before he jumped towards the chandelier swinging down, landing between the servant girls and don Rafael Palacio. Zorro's arms were crossed over his chest. His eyes gazing coldly in the shooter's direction.

"I am going to kill you first before finding her and killing her." don Palacio threatened.

Zorro his jaw tightened. He needed to control his anger and he needed to do it quickly.

Rafael took his sword and made a swing towards Zorro who jumped out of the way turned around and took his sword.

Zorro disarmed the man with three perfect strikes made Raphael's sword flying out of the man's reach. The masked fox wasn't in the mood for playing games.

He slashed a Z in the black suit with gold embroidery. Normally the fight would end here but this time, this time it was different.

Don Rafael had crossed a line. Zorro took three big steps to don Palacio. He grabbed the man's throat and lifted him against a beam in the middle of the tavern. His voice was deep and threatening.

"Listen to me Raphael and listen well, I may be a good guy with a value for life but if Victoria dies, you will join her. Look into every shadow for my sword because if you somehow escape your sentence I will be hunting you down. So pray that Victoria lives."

He took him off the pole and threw him out of the tavern. A familiar neighing ran through Zorro's ears. It was Toronado and he had a fight of his own. He saw Toronado who was busy stopping the Alcalde.

"He doesn't love you very much, Alcalde." Zorro laughed. While he watched his horses rearing in front of him.

"Call this devilish animal that you call a horse away from me!" The Alcalde yelled out fear of being hit by one of the stallion's hooves.

Zorro stood there laughing his arms crossed over his chest. He was so busy with the Alcalde that he didn't notice that Raphael had run away behind some houses aiming for the horse because without a horse Zorro would be powerless.

He pulled the trigger and just on that moment Toronado reared again the bullet flew inches underneath his front legs and hit the Alcalde instead. The black stallion looked in the direction of the shooter seeing don Rafael running in fear.

Toronado looked towards Zorro who simply nodded. The black stallion took off after the don with the black clothes and the big scar.

Grabbing with the man with his arm the moment he overpassed him. He stopped suddenly before throwing the man back towards Zorro.

Zorro sat down next to the Alcalde who was shot in the chest and died before he hit the ground.

Zorro sighed, "that is what you get if you shoot at Toronado."

Mendoza who stood next to Zorro swallowed hard. "Remember me never to mess with that horse."

Zorro laughed," I don't think you need to worry sergeant, as long as you treat the people with respect as long as you as in command you and we will not be adversary's."

"I will do my best Zorro but know I need to write a letter to the government about the death of our Alcalde." Mendoza sighed

"Please Sergeant take me to jail, I shot the Alcalde and Senorita Escalante I rather die by hanging than by the hooves of the devil." Don Rafael pleaded out of fear.

Mendoza nodded and send his soldiers towards Toronado who stood above the shooter. The soldiers swallowed hard and step with caution towards the angry stallion.

"Wait, Mendoza, before I call my horse off, one more thing!" he walked towards Toronado and crouched down beside the front legs of the horse, "Why did you shoot Victoria?"

Rafael swallowed, "She had hurt my feelings by rejecting me. If I don't get her nobody gets her."

Zorro stood up and nodded towards Toronado. The stallion understood and stepped away from the shooter.

The fox jumped on the stallion back, "don't let him get away sergeant!" before turning his horse and racing home. It was time to take care of Victoria anyway.

Days went by slowly, Diego took care of Victoria by day and helped the Sergeant with catching bandits by night. For the first time in a really long time, he could leave the pueblo without being hunted down.

He already suspected that Mendoza wasn't a threat for Zorro, not because of his lack of skills but because he agreed on many things that Zorro stand for. He just followed orders in the past.

Victoria was unconscious for over a week now.

Felipe had been on watch duty with Juanita one of the De La Vega's other servants. Diego wanted someone watching over Victoria ever moment of the day.

Mostly he sat next to her bed himself with Felipe by his side, telling her everything he ever wanted to tell her about who he really is.

He told her all the things he had encountered over the years. How special his bond was with Felipe and Toronado. One of his first stories had been how he had captured Toronado with Felipe by his side, wishing that she could hear everything he told her.

Secretly hoping that she could understand how much he loved her, how much she meant to him.

The night was chilly and apart from the silver light of the full moon, it was pitch black darkness.

Diego was sitting on a wooden bench in the rose garden of the De La Vega hacienda. The wooden bench had belonged to his mother and had hand-carved roses on the backrest.

The rose garden was the only place where he felt close to her. He missed his mother very much especially when times were tough like now. So in those times of large stress, this was his place when he was searching for some solitude to think things through or to his mind at rest. Even Felipe knew he should only disturb him at this small sanctuary in case of emergency and exactly that made him look up startled.

It couldn't be a ghost that stood in front of him, there underneath full moon stood his Victoria wearing only her tin white nightgown and a large white shawl draped over her shoulders.

"Diego?" Victoria asked slightly shivering from the cold.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

It couldn't be, could it? Diego thought a little shocked about Victoria's angelic appearance.

"Victoria is that you?" Diego asked while standing up from his place on the wooden bench.

Victoria smiled slightly, "Felipe told me I could find you here."

Diego sighed, "Felipe, I should have known!" Shaking his head.

"Don't be mad at Felipe, Diego. I woke up and saw Felipe sleeping in the chair next to my bed. I was so confused about why I was lying in a bed at your hacienda. That's when I remembered what had happened, don Palacio trying to kill me because I rejected him earlier. I just wanted to find you, Diego. So I tried to slip out of the room but couldn't do it without waking Felipe up. He tried to put me back in bed but I wouldn't listen to him, I told him that I needed to speak to you. Felipe told me he would go and fetch you. But I wanted to surprise you. So after doing his best to keep me in the room he gave in and showed me where to find you." Victoria said still shivering from the cold breeze outside, "Diego something strange happened to me."

"I am so glad that you are alive, Victoria." Diego sighed

Victoria took a few steps towards Diego, "You know Diego, someone told me in my dream that the man I was looking for was by my side all along, that the two men that I love are the same. My best friend is wearing a mask. I even heard lots and lots of stories. Am I going crazy, Diego or are you…?" Victoria didn't want to end her sentence. She was afraid that it would be too good to be true.

Meanwhile, Diego had risen from his place on the bench and had picked a rose from the bush beside him. He walked towards her, stopping right in front of her. He placed a lock of her hair behind her ear before placing the rose in her raven-black hair.

"You heard everything I told you?"Diego asked confused. Victoria smiled, everything she hurt was true. She was in love with her best friend.

She reached and placed a trembling hand on his cheek. "I love you, Diego De La Vega!"

"You are trembling, my love, you should rest now. Oh Victoria, I thought I lost you this time." Diego said silently before leaning in with what would be their first kiss without a mask.

Victoria collapsed losing her consciousness in the process. Diego was able to catch her in his arms before she would fall on the sand. Diego took the woman who carried his heart in his arms. Her head on his shoulder moving from left to right when Diego walked over the choppy sand. One of her arms hanging lifeless next to her body.

Diego's eyes full of fear but with one goal, do whatever it would take to bring his senorita back.

He couldn't lose her, not now that she had accepted him as the man of flesh and blood, the man who was hiding behind two masks, the black fabric and the invisible one he was wearing as the Diego De La Vega, the mask better known as the cowards of the pueblo.

Felipe just entered the library after doing his chores in the cave but was shocked when he ran into Diego, who just entered the hacienda with Victoria in his arms.

"Felipe is Dr. Hernandez back in town?" Diego asked. Felipe heard the depression in his voice. He could read beyond the invisible mask.

Felipe shook his head and signed that he didn't know when the good doctor would return home.

"Quick, go get some cactus tea. I am going to lay her back in the guestroom. I think she has a fever so we need to be quick if we don't want to lose her.

Days went by without sight of Zorro, it wasn't the first time he stayed away for days but this time it was because Diego had no energy to ride out. The whole reason that Zorro existed was laying here more dead than alive.

His Victoria was the strength behind the man with the black mask. He felt useless for the first time he felt like he had failed! Diego startled out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in!" He yelled to whoever was disturbing him. He asked the staff to only disturb him if it was an emergency, even for his job as the masked outlaw.

Felipe opened the door with behind him the good doctor himself. Felipe also signed that the padre wanted to talk to him and was waiting for him in the library.

Diego sighed, he walked towards the doctor and shook the good man's hand. "I am glad you are home, doctor. She has been shot more than a week ago. She woke up a few days ago but her wound got inflamed and she's suffering from a fever since then. I don't know what more I can do than to try and cool her down and give her cactus tea." Diego informed the doctor.

"I will take a look and see what we can do to help her." Dr. Hernandez said immediately walking towards Victoria's side.

Diego looked over his shoulder one more time, afraid that it could be the last time he saw his love alive before he followed Felipe to talk with the padre. It wasn't unusual for the padre to accompany the doctor in cases like this.

Padre Benitez was looking towards the many books the De La Vega's and especially don Diego possessed in the library of the hacienda. He turned around when he heard two people approaching him.

"Don Diego." He said when he reached out to the young don to shake his hand. He noticed how terrible Diego looked, the black circles around his eyes indicating that he hadn't slept well in a very long time. Diego took the padre's hand, "Padre Benitez." Diego said trying to hide the sadness in his voice.

"How are you holding up, my son?" He asked worried about the young De La Vega.

"It's hard padre. My best friend is fighting for her life just because some guy couldn't handle her rejection. I don't want her to die like this." Diego said silently allowing a few tears to run over his cheek.

He was tired of fighting his emotions day in and day out, only letting his guard down when he took care of his favorite animal in the whole world, his loyal stallion Toronado. Hours had he cried in the horse his manes. Seeking comfort in the 17 hands tall animal's coal-black fur.

"I know it is hard Diego but you need to have faith in the lord on moments like this." The padre said with a soft voice but stern enough to tell him there was no other way.

Diego sighed, "you are right padre." was the only thing he could say.

Another pair of footsteps approached them, Diego's hope crushing with every second he looked at the good doctor's face.

"How is she, doctor?" Diego asked, feeling his heart breathing in his throat.

"Her breathing is shallow and her heart is beating very fast. She feels extremely warm. Her wound is seriously inflamed. I don't know how long she will hold like this. She will need a miracle to survive the night. I am sorry don Diego." The doctor said sadly.

Diego's face went white from hearing the doctor's diagnosis. Staring in front of him in disbelief he sank in the chair that Felipe placed behind him. Shaking his head in the process.

Tears welled up in his eyes whispering," I failed her!" to nobody in particular. He was in luck that both the doctor and the padre secretly knew just who sat before them or he would have some serious explaining to do.

placed a hand on his shoulder, "You didn't fail her, don Diego, if it wasn't for you she wouldn't have one single chance of surviving, I heard already how you saved her then by removing the bullet."

The doctor said with obvious compassion in his voice, stopping briefly to sigh because the next thing would be one of the hardest things he ever had to tell the young man sitting in front of him, "It's maybe for the best to let the padre give her, her last rites."

Diego looked up, realizing what the doctor had been telling him just now, almost as if those last words broke one shock to let him fall into another one. Diego shook his head fiercely, "No, no she can't die, not now, not when she finally knew that I…" stopping himself in mid-sentence shocked with what he almost had revealed.

The padre placed his hand on his shoulder looking around getting a nod from the doctor, "Diego you didn't reveal anything we didn't already know." The young don looked up in shock towards the padre and the doctor.

"We know how hard this is on you, my son but we need to be prepared for the worst."

Diego nodded, he knew they were right, Victoria deserved this.

"I order Maria to get a guest room ready for you to use, doctor. If you will excuse me. If you need anything, ask Felipe he knows where he can find me."

Diego was about to stand up, but the doctor stopped him, "Thank you, Don Diego, I will go a sit with her for a while after the padre has done his rites. Take your time, I will call for you if something changes." Diego nodded and left.

The night had been short but what they all had feared for never happened. Victoria survived. Diego had been watching over her all night long, after taking over from the good doctor, until sleep caught up with him when he dozed off in the chair next to the bed of the woman he loved so much.

A knock on the door startled him, "Enter!" he yelled a little sleepy. Felipe walked in the room, with an excitement he had never seen. Felipe started signing at a lightning speed.

"Slow down, Felipe," Diego asked softly

Felipe slowed down a little more but it was still to fast for Diego to read it, "Slower." Diego said again. The young servant took a deep breath and started again.

"Zorro is asked to come to the plaza this afternoon to receive a pardon out of the hands of the new Alcalde of the pueblo of Los Angeles, Jaime Mendoza," Diego repeated what Felipe was signing to him.

"How can I leave Victoria, Felipe?" Diego asked sadly

Felipe signed again confused about the fact that Diego wasn't jumping for joy with this news.

"I know that this is something I always wanted, dreamed of even but not without the love of my life, not without Victoria." Diego sighed before a familiar female voice startled him, "I wouldn't miss it for the world, my little peach."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Diego looked around to see Victoria smiling at him, obviously, she had heard everything of the conversation between Diego and Felipe.

"Querida, you are awake!" Diego said overjoyed while getting down on his knees next to the bed, taking her hand in his.

"This is going to be the best day of my life, but I want you to promise me to stay in the carriage," Diego said sternly to Victoria but couldn't help caressing her forehead lovingly.

"What about your father, Diego?" Victoria asked

"Felipe told me earlier that my father is in town he arrived from Santa Paula a few hours ago. Oh querida, I thought I lost you forever this time." Diego looked in Victoria's beautiful brown eyes.

"And leave you before you could make good on your promise? You can't get rid of me that easily Diego De La Vega!" Victoria quipped.

"

I wouldn't dream of it, my love!" Diego quipped back before raising her hand towards his lips to kiss it lovingly.

It was a few minutes before noon and it looked like every citizen of Los Angeles was present to celebrate their hero. Don Alejandro walked towards the carriage with Victoria in it and with Felipe holding the reins.

"I heard what happened, my dear. How are you feeling?" Don Alejandro asked. He always thought of Victoria as if she was his daughter especially from the moment she was forced to live without parents.

"I am fine, don Alejandro, thanks to Diego's good care." Victoria smiled to the man she saw as a father, little did he know how close of a father he was going to be for her in the future.

"Speaking of Diego where is he? Didn't he come with you?" don Alejandro asked confused not seeing his son. He needed to talk with the boy about sending Victoria to the pueblo without him.

Victoria shook her head, don Alejandro didn't know his son's secret and it wasn't her place to tell him.

"No, he had something urgent that needed his attention, I don't know what!" Victoria said as vaguely as possible.

"Probably one of his foolish experiments! What should I do with him!" don Alejandro shook his head in disappointment. It took every willpower Victoria had not to react to the disappointing look in the old don's eyes. That and a stern look off Felipe in her direction.

Victoria's respect for Diego only grew with every minute in public. The talks about him being a coward, about him being hopeless. She wanted to scream that he wasn't a coward but instead she only asked herself how he had done it all those years without someone knowing his secret, someone except for Felipe that is. She would need to ask him that as soon as she had the chance. She was startled out of thoughts when the people starting to cheer. She turned around and saw what all the commotion was about.

There he was her prince charming on his black stallion. Riding into the pueblo in a light troth. How did she fail to see it all this time it was crystal clear now who was hiding behind the mask. The crowd opened like the sea for Moses, everybody took a step back to let their hero pass to where Mendoza was waiting for him, dressed in his official suit.

Sergeant Mendoza cleared his throat the moment the Fox appeared in front of him still sitting on the back of his horse, he knew Jaime Mendoza wasn't a threat but call it an old habit.

"Senor Zorro, thank you for coming to this glorious day." greeting the man in the black mask before continuing, "Years you came to our defense. Years you fought for justice. You did what we as lancers couldn't do. That is why my first job as the new Alcalde is to give you the pardon you should have received years ago." Mendoza reached out to the pardon in the hands of his new right hand, Sepulveda.

Zorro accepted the pardon with a smile but Mendoza wasn't finished, "Zorro, now that the pueblo is safe please let us see the man u fought for us all these years?" Mendoza asked with newfound confidence.

The crowd started cheering again, yelling his name over and over. Zorro smiled shyly, he hadn't thought about this otherwise he would have asked Felipe and later Victoria what their opinion was. He looked over the cheering crowd towards the carriage with Felipe and Victoria seeing both of them nod silently.

The crowd fell silent the moment they saw Zorro raising his hand, "People of Los Angeles, it is my honor to have fought for you all these years. I will reveal my identity if Victoria will do the honor of unmasking me?" Zorro smiled towards the carriage.

"I would love to." smiled Victoria.

Zorro walked towards the carriage and lifted Victoria in front of him. She smiled at him lovingly. He lifted his hat from his head and nodded towards the love of his life that she could remove the mask.

The crowd gasped the moment the mask fell but the man most shocked of all was his father, Alejandro De La Vega.

"My son is Zorro," Alejandro said silently.

"My son is Zorro!" he yelled proudly now. Diego was relieved about his fathers' reaction, but no doubt that he would have to answer lots of questions later. For now, Diego enjoyed this day. Diego raised his hand again and the people fell silent, "Now that my identity is revealed I want to ask Victoria this question," Diego took a ring out of his pocket, "Victoria Escalante, will you do me the honors of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"

Victoria looked shocked but nodded fiercely trying to hold her tears at bay. Diego placed the ring around her finger. Victoria looked at the ring and in Diego's eyes. They both leaned into each other until the lips touch each other in their first public kiss.

Sergeant Mendoza cleared his throat again, "To celebrate this I declare this day Zorroday!"

The crowd cheered and the party lasted well into the night, with Diego telling story's, Victoria sitting in his lap and Felipe by his side. It was through those story's that people discovered the secret behind the legend of Zorro, his team!

A story that would be told for years and years to come. A story that made Zorro a legend.

Happy Birthday to our masked hero.

LadyTpower!


End file.
